Tips for Coffee Lovers

Coffee. You either need, love, or can’t stand it. Oddly, I worked for two years as a manager at a Starbucks and never really touched the stuff. I liked the odd French Press of select coffee beans that would come through the store, but generally drank an Iced Chai Tea Latte instead (easy to make, hard for others to screw up, and didn’t want to join the addicts who kept me gainfully employed).

Since leaving Starbucks I’ve begun to appreciate a quality cup of coffee, late, cappuccino. With the knowledge I gained at Starbucks (ignoring the corporate nonsense they tried to program into us about over roasted coffee) I was able to develop an appreciation for all types of coffee.

Unfortunately, coffee suffers as much as wine from the outside influence of over-opinionated snobs who like to push their personal agenda on a drinking public not suited to their particular tastes. The assertion that anything but black coffee for men is somehow “girly”, the condescending looks when ordering a coffee with flavored syrups, etc. It’s a personal drink and should be flavored to the drinkers palette. Not everyone enjoys a full flavored Indonesian coffee.

As with anything in life you enjoy regularly a little knowledge of what’s going on increases your awareness and heightens enjoyment. So here are some links from around the web on coffee, enjoyment, brewing, and various other coffee tips to hopefully add to your enjoyment of this simple pleasure.